Comments on: Moving Beyond the Triple Constraints http://pmstudent.com/moving-beyond-the-triple-constraints/ Helping new and aspiring project managers reach their career goals! Sun, 20 May 2012 01:38:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Gabino Carballo http://pmstudent.com/moving-beyond-the-triple-constraints/#comment-1406 Gabino Carballo Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:28:09 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=92#comment-1406 I agree with David. Construction related projects have a very different set of priorities and dynamics from other type of projects. Quality is often determined by technical specifications set externally. Cost and schedule are often conditional on finishing by a certain date or within a certain budget at all costs. The value of the Project is Zero until it is finished and deliverables rolling. In that respect, it is a more primitive environment to be working in! I guess that is why you see PMs shifting from industry to industry, with the exception of Construction PMs, which seem to be fairly specialized. I agree with David. Construction related projects have a very different set of priorities and dynamics from other type of projects. Quality is often determined by technical specifications set externally. Cost and schedule are often conditional on finishing by a certain date or within a certain budget at all costs. The value of the Project is Zero until it is finished and deliverables rolling.

In that respect, it is a more primitive environment to be working in! I guess that is why you see PMs shifting from industry to industry, with the exception of Construction PMs, which seem to be fairly specialized.

]]> By: Gabino Carballo http://pmstudent.com/moving-beyond-the-triple-constraints/#comment-24272 Gabino Carballo Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:28:00 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=92#comment-24272 I agree with David. Construction related projects have a very different set of priorities and dynamics from other type of projects. Quality is often determined by technical specifications set externally. Cost and schedule are often conditional on finishing by a certain date or within a certain budget at all costs. The value of the Project is Zero until it is finished and deliverables rolling. In that respect, it is a more primitive environment to be working in! I guess that is why you see PMs shifting from industry to industry, with the exception of Construction PMs, which seem to be fairly specialized. I agree with David. Construction related projects have a very different set of priorities and dynamics from other type of projects. Quality is often determined by technical specifications set externally. Cost and schedule are often conditional on finishing by a certain date or within a certain budget at all costs. The value of the Project is Zero until it is finished and deliverables rolling.

In that respect, it is a more primitive environment to be working in! I guess that is why you see PMs shifting from industry to industry, with the exception of Construction PMs, which seem to be fairly specialized.

]]> By: Josh Nankivel http://pmstudent.com/moving-beyond-the-triple-constraints/#comment-396 Josh Nankivel Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:17:18 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=92#comment-396 Thanks for the comment David! I think Shenhar agrees with you. He talks about how the traditional triple constraints are focused on efficiency only. <blockquote cite="Dave Garrett">His definition of success is broken down into the following categories: - Efficiency (criteria similar to the triple constraint) - Customer (criteria = customer satisfiers) - Team (criteria = customer satisfiers) - Business Needs (criteria = things like ROI, strategic fit, and competitive advantage) - Future Needs (criteria = future value, like in the case of new technology where much of the value is yet to be defined)</blockquote> Josh Nankivel Thanks for the comment David! I think Shenhar agrees with you. He talks about how the traditional triple constraints are focused on efficiency only.

His definition of success is broken down into the following categories:
- Efficiency (criteria similar to the triple constraint)
- Customer (criteria = customer satisfiers)
- Team (criteria = customer satisfiers)
- Business Needs (criteria = things like ROI, strategic fit, and competitive advantage)
- Future Needs (criteria = future value, like in the case of new technology where much of the value is yet to be defined)

Josh Nankivel

]]> By: Josh Nankivel http://pmstudent.com/moving-beyond-the-triple-constraints/#comment-24271 Josh Nankivel Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:17:00 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=92#comment-24271 Thanks for the comment David! I think Shenhar agrees with you. He talks about how the traditional triple constraints are focused on efficiency only. <blockquote cite="Dave Garrett">His definition of success is broken down into the following categories: - Efficiency (criteria similar to the triple constraint) - Customer (criteria = customer satisfiers) - Team (criteria = customer satisfiers) - Business Needs (criteria = things like ROI, strategic fit, and competitive advantage) - Future Needs (criteria = future value, like in the case of new technology where much of the value is yet to be defined)</blockquote> Josh Nankivel Thanks for the comment David! I think Shenhar agrees with you. He talks about how the traditional triple constraints are focused on efficiency only.

His definition of success is broken down into the following categories:
- Efficiency (criteria similar to the triple constraint)
- Customer (criteria = customer satisfiers)
- Team (criteria = customer satisfiers)
- Business Needs (criteria = things like ROI, strategic fit, and competitive advantage)
- Future Needs (criteria = future value, like in the case of new technology where much of the value is yet to be defined)

Josh Nankivel

]]> By: David Green http://pmstudent.com/moving-beyond-the-triple-constraints/#comment-381 David Green Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:42:09 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=92#comment-381 The 'triple constraint' looks backwards, not forwards. That is, it is about the inputs, not the outputs. The only thing of interest to a project recipient (even if they don't know it) is the value (in NPV terms, if you must) of the project at its completion date. So, if you must increase the investment, or change the schedule, or scope (aka quality) it can only sensibly done in the light of getting the best value outcome. I used to be involved in developing retail centres our only consideration was to open for a major shopping period: usually Christmas: so open by the first week in December, or just prior to Easter; if we missed the millions of dollars that would flow through the centre at that time, cost, schedule and scope didn't mean a jot, and the three inputs were juggled, usually by increasing the investment, to get the value of opening on time. So, sure, the PM has three corners to attend to: what he's doing, when it's to be done by, and how much he can spend to do it; but its all for the value to be produced. The value may be a stream of income, non-monetary benefits, or costs avoided, but they are the target of projects, not the project itself, per se. The ‘triple constraint’ looks backwards, not forwards. That is, it is about the inputs, not the outputs. The only thing of interest to a project recipient (even if they don’t know it) is the value (in NPV terms, if you must) of the project at its completion date. So, if you must increase the investment, or change the schedule, or scope (aka quality) it can only sensibly done in the light of getting the best value outcome.
I used to be involved in developing retail centres our only consideration was to open for a major shopping period: usually Christmas: so open by the first week in December, or just prior to Easter; if we missed the millions of dollars that would flow through the centre at that time, cost, schedule and scope didn’t mean a jot, and the three inputs were juggled, usually by increasing the investment, to get the value of opening on time.
So, sure, the PM has three corners to attend to: what he’s doing, when it’s to be done by, and how much he can spend to do it; but its all for the value to be produced. The value may be a stream of income, non-monetary benefits, or costs avoided, but they are the target of projects, not the project itself, per se.

]]> By: David Green http://pmstudent.com/moving-beyond-the-triple-constraints/#comment-24270 David Green Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:42:00 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=92#comment-24270 The 'triple constraint' looks backwards, not forwards. That is, it is about the inputs, not the outputs. The only thing of interest to a project recipient (even if they don't know it) is the value (in NPV terms, if you must) of the project at its completion date. So, if you must increase the investment, or change the schedule, or scope (aka quality) it can only sensibly done in the light of getting the best value outcome. I used to be involved in developing retail centres our only consideration was to open for a major shopping period: usually Christmas: so open by the first week in December, or just prior to Easter; if we missed the millions of dollars that would flow through the centre at that time, cost, schedule and scope didn't mean a jot, and the three inputs were juggled, usually by increasing the investment, to get the value of opening on time. So, sure, the PM has three corners to attend to: what he's doing, when it's to be done by, and how much he can spend to do it; but its all for the value to be produced. The value may be a stream of income, non-monetary benefits, or costs avoided, but they are the target of projects, not the project itself, per se. The ‘triple constraint’ looks backwards, not forwards. That is, it is about the inputs, not the outputs. The only thing of interest to a project recipient (even if they don’t know it) is the value (in NPV terms, if you must) of the project at its completion date. So, if you must increase the investment, or change the schedule, or scope (aka quality) it can only sensibly done in the light of getting the best value outcome.
I used to be involved in developing retail centres our only consideration was to open for a major shopping period: usually Christmas: so open by the first week in December, or just prior to Easter; if we missed the millions of dollars that would flow through the centre at that time, cost, schedule and scope didn’t mean a jot, and the three inputs were juggled, usually by increasing the investment, to get the value of opening on time.
So, sure, the PM has three corners to attend to: what he’s doing, when it’s to be done by, and how much he can spend to do it; but its all for the value to be produced. The value may be a stream of income, non-monetary benefits, or costs avoided, but they are the target of projects, not the project itself, per se.

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